The Show
Chris Kattan's had a great run on Saturday Night Live, filling his characters with energy that's rarely seen in comedy. A latter-day Martin Short, his rubber-faced delivery makes every sketch he's the star of work, even if the material isn't the strongest. He hasn't had similar success in the movies, which may point to him being best in small doses. In that way, this DVD is the best of times and the worst of times. It's all Kattan, but you can watch just what you want.

The DVD
The DVD features the standard SNL best-of layout, with the show title-themed animated menus. These can get annoying, as the animation plays every time you enter the menus. You can play the entire show at once, or choose from a scene selection menu. There are also extras, available from a separate menu. The sketches included are broken down below.

The Roxbury Guys: The first appearance of the Butabi brothers, the aggressive dancers Kattan and Will Ferrell were amazingly able to turn into a movie. The trademark music isn't in place yet (or was replaced for home video)

Mango (with Jennifer Lopez): Mango is Kattan's signature character, a hypnotic straight male stripper everyone assumes is gay. This is one of the funnier Mango sketches, as Kattan out-divas J.Lo and Ferrell vamps as a music producer. Includes a cute parody of Madonna's "Music" and VH-1's "Divas Live."

Suel Forrester (with John Goodman): Kattan's gibberish-speaking character makes his first appearance on the show, acting as a defense attorney in a murder case. The joke is less about Kattan's nonsense, but the other characters' reactions, including that of the court reporter (Molly Shannon.)

"The How You Say It, Ah Yes Show with Antonio Banderas" (with Jennifer Love Hewitt): This one, (with Jimmy Fallon, always ready to break as the guitar-playing sidekick) is very funny, even if the imitation isn't exactly dead-on. But that's where the fun comes from, playing on Banderas' sex-symbol status and broken English.

Mr. Peepers (with Kevin Spacey): This missing link character makes the most of Kattan's manic physical comedy, as he jumps around and eats his apple like an animal. How Ferrell doesn't break when Peepers latches onto his face is a testament to his ability to stay in character. Spacey is one of the few guests who doesn't depend on cue cards, which makes his performances great.

The DeMarco Brothers (with Bon Jovi): Another of the Kattan and Chris Parnell's bad dancer auditions, as they literally act out the songs of Bon Jovi. Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora break character when the old wigs are broken out for wanted "Dead or Alive." Jon can't even look at them for fear of laughing.

Gollum on Weekend Update: Kattan is excellent as the The Lord of the Rings star gives his analysis of the Super Bowl (after he steals "the ring.") It's something of a Mr. Peepers redux, but a funny concept nonetheless.

"Behind the Bruises" (with John Goodman): Kattan and his white-trash wife, played by Amy Poehler, are in the middle of a domestic dispute when the cops arrive. The whole scene is almost overshadowed by the near-appearance of Little Kattan. It's a really low-brow scene, but Poehler is hilariously trashy.

Buddy Mills (with Ray Romano): It's an old-style Vegas comedy act taken to extremes, with Romano and Kattan playing off each other very well. An odd bit of business with waitresses crossing the screen staring into the camera

Gay Hitler: A quick hit, Kattan interrupts Weekend Update, wearing pink armbands and a scarf. There's not much here, but it draws a laugh.

"Goth Talk" (with Christina Ricci): Another of SNL's public access parodies, "Goth Talk" pokes fun at the ridiculous nature of much of the goth subculture. Azrael Abyss is a hilarious character that actually could have been part of a funny farce film. Ferrell is wonderful as usual, and using goth icon Ricci was a nice touch.

Kerri and Kippy Strug (with Kerri Strug): U.S. Olympic gymnast Kerri's no actor, but she plays along nicely, just barely avoiding breaking into laughs, as Kattan parodies Kerri perfectly. "Kids in the Hall" alumnus Mark McKinney plays Bela Karolyi in one of his few memorable SNL roles.

The Zimmermans (with Ben Stiller): The always-horny Zimmermans (Kattan and Cheri Oteri) make another couple uncomfortable as everything they do has a sexual aspect to it. This time, it's Stiller and Ana Gasteyer, at an intimate Halloween party. And of course, the Zimmermans turn it all around on their guests. It's ridiculous, but Kattan and Oteri have such fun with it that it's hilarious.

Celeb Impersonations: At Larry King's wedding, Kattan goes through every Al Pacino line known to man, kicking off a montage of his celebrity parodies. In a series of clips you get to see Andy Dick, Ricky Martin, Anne Heche, David Guest, Britney Spears, Steve "Crocodile Hunter" Irwin and Kid Rock. His take on Martin is easily the best one,

Shop at Home Network (with Mark Hamill): Kattan plays the sidekick to Ferrell's Don West, in a parody of the legendary screaming, mustachioed collectibles dealers. This time out, they're selling Star Wars items, including the actual Mark Hamill. This one is a bit dated, and won't be that funny to those who never saw the originals.

Twins (with Jennifer Garner): Kattan and Fallon are excited to meet a pair of twins (Garner and Rachel Dratch), but when they show up, they are conjoined, and one has a baby arm growing out of her head. Every twin/double-date joke in the book is used, in a sketch that loses gas as it proceeds.

Mango (with Garth Brooks): A clip from the classic Brooks episode of SNL plays under the credits.

The Quality
The full-screen video looks good, without any signs of digital problems. The colors are near perfect, which is pretty good for clips that come from several different years of network TV. the audio is pretty standard for TV, with clear Dolby Digital 2.0 feed. It's the best this material has looked and sounded.

The Extras
There's a nice spread of bonus features on this disc, starting with the audition that won him his role on SNL. I assume this is heavily edited, because if this was it, there's no way I would have hired him. He performs his Suel Forrester character (opposite an audio tape), and a hyperactive coffee fanatic. It shows his manic side, but nothing SNL-worthy. Then, a sketch that was cut after dress rehearsal has Kattan playing a drunken, middle-aged astrologist on Weekend Update, and was cut for all the right reasons.

An outtakes reel shows material that either caused a cast member to break or screwed-up during dress rehearsal. This is a must-see, for two reasons. First, is the clip from the "The Reguritation Family" sketch, which features Julianna Margulies chewing up an apple pie and spitting it into Kattan's mouth. It's disturbing and actually makes Ferrell break character. Second is a Zimmermans scene, where Oteri's breast (in a bra) is revealed, to her and Kattan's astonishment. Their reaction is priceless.

A couple of Kattan's Conan O'Brien interviews are also available, and are definitely entertaining. Kattan is relaxed (or as relaxed as he can be), and has fun with the interview. In one, Kattan talks about meeting Monica Lewinsky and Star Wars, while in the second, he talks more about his impersonations and has some fun with Max Weinberg. Rounding out the extras is a nicely produced, if short automatic photo gallery that's OK, but a one-time thing.

The Bottom Line
Going in, I wondered if there were enough good Kattan performances to fill a best-of DVD. I was pleasantly surprised. If you're a Kattan fan, don't hesitate to pick this one up, especially with the wide array of guest stars. All of his major characters are represented, along with several of his funniest performances. The fun and interesting extras make this low-priced package worth the investment.

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*The Reviewer's Bias section is an attempt to help readers use the review to its best effect. By knowing where the reviewer's biases lie on the film's subject matter, one can read the review with the right mindset.